PhD Scholarship – Microcomb Optical Comms

Monash University
October 31, 2024
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Offerd Salary:$35,013
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PhD Scholarship - Microcomb Optical Comms

Job No.: 670146

Location: Clayton campus

Employment Type: Full-time

Duration: 3.5-year fixed-term appointment

Remuneration: $35,013 p.a. (tax-free), with top-ups potentially available

Project

Our demands of the internet mean that we need to put 25% more data through optical fibres every year. This supports our connected society in ever changing and increasingly critical ways and can help to decarbonize our economy. We want these trends to continue and need you to help find new technologies to support this. This scholarship opportunity is for a PhD focused on probing the limits of optical microcombs for carrying data. Optical microcombs are a newly invented source of light, producing a precise rainbow of laser-like lines. By imprinting different data streams onto each line, communication bandwidths of many terahertz can be supported by a single compact light source. This can then scale to petabits-per-second by addressing multiple spatial channels.

Opportunity

As part of this PhD, you will be trained in state-of-the-art optical transmission systems and become an expert in the physics of optical microcombs, telecommunications systems based on combs, and in the data processing of these systems. You will have opportunities through this project to work with international academics (this project links specifically to the Danish Technical University) and through local industry (for this project, specifically through NBN Co.). This PhD will provide you with skills to develop a career in academia or industry.

This project has the scope to blend optical physics with communication engineering, and can suit candidates with a background in Physics, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or related disciplines. You will be working as part of a large collaboration – the Centre for Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS) – a 7-year, $70M research collaboration started in 2024. This centre is based on shared research goals, equipment and expertise amongst 8 Australian universities and many international partners. This provides a globally unique and highly connected research environment for PhD students.

Details

The scholarship (Monash RTP) is $35,013 p.a. (tax free), with top-ups potentially available. Tuition fees are waived by Monash. PhD positions in Australia are open to graduate with honours or masters degrees and run for 3-3.5 years. Your home campus will be Monash Clayton, located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne. The main supervisor for this work is Associate Professor Bill Corcoran. H1-equivalent preferred, in Australia this is a GPA of >80%, and varies with country of degree. Due to trade embargos, we cannot consider applicants with Iranian citizenship. Applicants should apply through this online form (https: // forms.gle/tj38N3AjdFjqWP398). Domestic (Aus/NZ citizens & permanent resident/visa) applications are preferred before October 15, 2024. The first round of applications will remain open until 31 October, 2024

Background

Applicants with a background including project work in optics, photonics, optical communications, and/or communications engineering will be starting off with an advantage for this PhD topic.

This work builds on research done independently at Monash and DTU and aims to bring together these teams to build toward new world-leading results. See the papers below for more:

1 Corcoran et al., Nature Communications, www. nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16265-x

2 Joegensen et al., Nature Photonics, www. nature.com/articles/s41566-022-01082-z

3 Prayoonyong et al., J. Lightwave. Technology, https: // ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9555375

4 Prayoonyong et al., J. Lightwave. Technology, https: // ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10034819

5 Corcoran et al., APL Photonics, https: // pubs.aip.org/aip/app/article/9/1/010903/3103955/A-perspective-on- optical-microcomb-distillation-A

COMBS @ Monash

At Monash, work feels different. There's a sense of belonging, from contributing to something groundbreaking – a place where great things happen. You know you're part of something special and purposeful because, like Monash, your ambitions drive you to make change.

The Faculty of Engineering is one of the largest in Australia, renowned worldwide for the quality and calibre of our teaching, research and graduates. We offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and higher degree by research programs in a wide range of engineering disciplines.

Our research activities provide a platform for establishing a thriving educational enterprise and our staff are committed to creating a dynamic learning environment. The research activities range from fundamental studies to research with a strong applications orientation.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering aims to provide high quality programs for undergraduate and research students as well as undertaking and publishing high quality research. We offer internationally recognised undergraduate and research programs in telecommunications, electronics, robotics, biomedical engineering and electrical power systems. We maintain strong links with engineering professionals to ensure our programs remain at the leading edge of professional practice. We have a vibrant research culture, with major research areas in communications & RF identification, intelligent robotics, biomedical engineering and power electronics & energy.

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS –combs.org.au) is a large dynamic, diverse and inclusive community that spans across Australia and beyond. Optical frequency combs hold remarkable promise for reshaping the realms of precision measurements, highspeed communication, sensing, and astronomical discovery. Recent advances in nanofabrication make it possible to miniaturise bulky optical and electronic systems onto microchips, thus streamlining the production and reducing costs. This emerging microcomb technology holds the key to unlocking the full potential of optical frequency combs. By joining the ARC Centre of Excellence in Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS), you will play an important role in developing these microcomb technologies to transform science and society.

As a member of COMBS, you will have the opportunity to work with other COMBS scientists within the eight Australian Universities network, take advantage of internships with industry and our many international partners in Europe, Asia and the US. There will be many opportunities for learning through workshops, technology translation and entrepreneurship bootcamps, and access to top photonics scientists. COMBS values equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, and we recognise the importance of intersectionality. We are committed to creating an environment that embraces and harnesses these intersections to do the best science we can. We invite you to join us to become part of the diverse and inclusive COMBS community.

Applications Close: Thursday 31 October 2024, 11:55pm AEDT

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Monash University recognises that its Australian campuses are located on the unceded lands of the people of the Kulin nations, and pays its respects to their elders, past and present.

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